TW201800020A - An electrically operated aerosol-generating system with a rechargeable power supply - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrically operated aerosol-generating system for receiving an aerosol-forming substrate comprises: one or more electric aerosol-generating elements; one or more hybrid capacitors for supplying power to the one or more electric aerosol-generating elements; and a voltage source for supplying power to the one or more hybrid capacitors to charge the one or more hybrid capacitors.

Description

Electrically operated aerosol generation system with rechargeable power supply

The present invention relates to an electrically operated system including a rechargeable power supply. In particular, the present invention relates to an electrically operated aerosol generating system including a main device like a charging device and a secondary device like an aerosol generating device.

The known electrically operated aerosol generating system includes an aerosol generating device having a housing, and the housing has a cavity for receiving an aerosol-generating object including an aerosol-forming substrate; a heating element for generating an aerosol ; Rechargeable power supplies; and electronic circuits that control the operation of the system. Such systems often include a charging device having a voltage source that can be electrically coupled to the device in order to charge a rechargeable power supply.

Generally, aerosol-generating devices are portable or handheld devices. The portable aerosol generating device must be small and user-friendly. This places several technical requirements on the rechargeable power supply of the portable aerosol generating device. The rechargeable power supply must be small enough to fit in a handheld device, typically have a size similar to a traditional cigarette, and must transmit enough power to The aerosol-generating object generates an aerosol.

Rechargeable batteries like lithium-ion secondary batteries have been used as rechargeable power supplies for portable aerosol-generating devices in the conventional art. Lithium-ion batteries provide greater energy density than most other rechargeable power supplies like capacitors and supercapacitors, but often require long charging times and need to be replaced after 300 to 500 charging cycles.

It would be desirable to provide an electrically operated aerosol generation system with a rechargeable power supply capable of transmitting sufficient power to achieve at least one user experience (which typically includes about 14 cigarettes) and can be recharged quickly, safely, and conveniently To the extent that it can be reused for another user experience and can operate thousands of charging cycles.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electrically operated aerosol generating system that houses an aerosol-forming substrate. The system includes: one or more electric aerosol generating elements; and one or more hybrid capacitors. To supply electric power to one or more electric aerosol generating elements; and a voltage source for supplying electric power to one or more hybrid capacitors for charging one or more hybrid capacitors.

As used herein, a "hybrid capacitor" is an electrochemical energy storage device that includes two asymmetric electrodes and an electrolyte between the two electrodes. In other words, a "hybrid capacitor" includes two different types of electrodes arranged in an electrolyte. One electrode of a hybrid capacitor can mainly exhibit electrostatic capacitance, while the other electrode can mainly exhibit electrostatic capacitance Electrochemical capacitance. For example, one of these electrodes may be a double-layer (Faraday) electrode, and the other electrode may be a redox (Faraday) electrode. Preferably, the hybrid capacitor is a lithium ion capacitor.

As used herein, a "lithium ion capacitor" is a hybrid capacitor including an anode of graphite or hard carbon-like graphite material with intercalated lithium ions and a cathode of porous carbon material like activated carbon. This electrolyte may be a lithium ion salt solution. This electrolyte can be similar to that used in lithium-ion batteries.

A suitable hybrid capacitor is a 40 F, LIC1235R 3R8406 lithium ion capacitor commercially available from TAIYO YUDEN (U.S.A.) INC. This lithium-ion capacitor is a cylindrical capacitor having a diameter of 12.5 mm and a length of 35.0 mm. This lithium-ion capacitor has a maximum available voltage of 3.8V, a minimum available voltage of 2.2V, and an internal resistance of about 150mΩ.

Another suitable hybrid capacitor is a 100 F, LIC1840R 3R8107 lithium ion capacitor commercially available from TAIYO YUDEN (U.S.A.) INC. This lithium ion capacitor is a cylindrical capacitor, which has a diameter of 18.0 mm and a length of 40.0 mm. This lithium-ion capacitor has a maximum usable voltage of 3.8V, a minimum usable voltage of 2.2V, and an internal resistance of about 100mΩ.

The energy density of a hybrid capacitor like a lithium ion capacitor is generally lower than the energy density of a battery like a lithium ion battery. Therefore, the energy storage capacity of hybrid capacitors can be lower than that of batteries of the same size. However, the power density of hybrid capacitors is usually higher than the power density of batteries. In other words, compared to the same The size of the battery can charge and discharge the hybrid capacitor quickly, usually within seconds instead of minutes. Therefore, the hybrid capacitor is an ideal power source for providing high power pulses to the aerosol generating elements of the portable aerosol generating device.

The cycle life of hybrid capacitors is also usually significantly longer than that of typical batteries. In particular, the cycle life of a lithium-ion capacitor is usually significantly longer than the cycle life of a lithium-ion battery. Compared with the cycle life of the lithium-ion battery, which has about 500 cycles before it needs to be replaced, the cycle life of the lithium-ion capacitor is usually greater than 10,000 cycles before it needs to be replaced.

Advantageously, hybrid capacitors also typically exhibit lower self-discharge rates than most capacitors and supercapacitors.

This system may include any suitable number and configuration of hybrid capacitors. This electrically operated aerosol generation system may include one or more hybrid capacitors. Preferably, however, this system includes a single hybrid capacitor. In the case where this system includes more than one hybrid capacitor, the hybrid capacitors are configured in series or parallel or in groups of hybrid capacitors, and the hybrid capacitors in each group are configured in series. And these groups of hybrid capacitors are configured in parallel.

In a preferred embodiment, a user can smoke a mouthful on this aerosol generating system to trigger the generation of aerosol. When the circuit of the aerosol generating device detects that the user smokes, it can supply power to one or more aerosol generating elements. The smoking duration of the user may be between about 1 second and about 6 seconds, between about 2 seconds and about 5 seconds Between seconds or about 3 seconds. The average power of each smoke required by one or more aerosol-generating elements to generate a suitable aerosol may be between about 10W and about 2W, but preferably, it is about 5W. Therefore, for a cigarette of about 3 seconds, the average energy of each cigarette consumed by the aerosol-generating element of the aerosol-generating object may be about 15J. A typical user experience includes more than one puff, which can include between about 5 puffs and about 20 puffs, and preferably, about 14 puffs. Therefore, one or more hybrid capacitors of the aerosol generating device of these preferred embodiments may be required to store at least 210J of energy in order to provide sufficient energy for the aerosol generating device for a single user experience of 14 cigarettes, each Smoke consumes about 15J.

The electrically operated aerosol generating system of the present invention may include a main device and a secondary device. The primary device may be a charging device and the secondary device may be an aerosol generating device. The charging device may include a voltage source. The aerosol generating device may include one or more electric aerosol generating elements and one or more hybrid capacitors. Generally, the aerosol-generating device is a portable device or a handheld device. An aerosol-generating device may generally have the shape or size of a conventional cigarette or cigar. In some embodiments, the charging device may be a portable device or a handheld device. The charging device may generally have the shape or size of a conventional cigarette pack.

The charging device may include a circuit configured to control a power supply from a voltage source to one or more hybrid capacitors. The circuit of the charging device may include a microprocessor. The circuit of the charging device may include electricity between a voltage source and one or more hybrid capacitors. Pressure regulator. The microprocessor can be configured or programmed to control the voltage regulator, which in turn controls the supply of power from the voltage source to one or more hybrid capacitors.

The aerosol-generating device may include a circuit configured to control power supply from one or more hybrid capacitors to one or more electric aerosol-generating elements. The circuitry of the aerosol-generating device may include a microprocessor. The circuit of the aerosol-generating device may include a voltage regulator between one or more hybrid capacitors and one or more aerosol-generating elements. The microprocessor can be configured or programmed to control the voltage regulator, which in turn controls the supply of power from one or more hybrid capacitors to one or more aerosol-generating elements.

The circuit of the charging device can be configured or programmed so that the voltage source supplies power to one or more hybrid capacitors during the charging mode, and the circuit of the aerosol generating device can be configured or programmed to switch from a One or more hybrid capacitors supply power to one or more aerosol-generating elements.

The circuit of the charging device may be configured to supply power from a voltage source to one or more hybrid capacitors at a constant current until the voltage reaches a predetermined value during the charging mode. The constant current and predetermined voltage can be set according to the characteristics of the hybrid capacitor.

If the charging current is removed as soon as a predetermined maximum voltage value is reached, the internal resistance of one or more hybrid capacitors may cause the voltage of one or more hybrid capacitors to drop. Therefore, if the predetermined maximum voltage value is reached, the charging current is immediately removed, and the one or more hybrid capacitors are terminated before they are fully charged. Charging of combined capacitors.

The circuit of the charging device may be configured to continuously charge one or more hybrid capacitors after a predetermined maximum voltage value has been reached in order to compensate for a voltage drop caused by the internal resistance of the one or more hybrid capacitors. In particular, the circuit of the charging device may be configured to supply power from a voltage source to one or more hybrid capacitors at a constant voltage in a charging mode. Preferably, the constant voltage is the same as the predetermined voltage value.

As one or more hybrid capacitors approach a fully charged state, the charging current can be reduced. When the charging current reaches zero, one or more hybrid capacitors are fully charged.

In a preferred embodiment, the circuit of the charging device may be configured to supply power from a voltage source to one or more hybrid capacitors at a constant current in a charging mode until the voltage reaches a predetermined maximum voltage value, and then at a constant Voltage supplies power from a voltage source to one or more hybrid capacitors until the current reaches a minimum current threshold.

In other words, one or more hybrid capacitors can be charged using a constant current phase followed by a constant voltage phase. In the constant current phase, the voltage across the hybrid capacitor is adjusted so as to maintain a constant charging current I _ch until the voltage across the hybrid capacitor reaches a predetermined voltage limit-a predetermined maximum voltage value V _ch . I _ch and V _ch are Set according to the characteristics of one or more hybrid capacitors. In the constant voltage phase, the voltage across one or more hybrid capacitors is maintained at a constant voltage value V _ch until the current drops to zero, at which time one or more hybrid capacitors are fully charged, or until the charging current It falls below the predetermined minimum current threshold I _low . The lower the predetermined minimum current threshold I _{low, the} longer the minimum required charging time of one or more hybrid capacitors, but the closer one or more hybrid capacitors will be to a fully charged state.

For fast charging, it is desirable to maximize the time length of the constant current phase and minimize the time length of the constant voltage phase. The predetermined minimum current threshold I _ch may be set to a value under which one or more hybrid capacitors have a state of charge sufficient to supply energy to one or more aerosol-generating elements to achieve a single aerosol generation. A single aerosol generation period can include between 1 and 20 cigarettes. Preferably, a single aerosol generation period includes about 14 cigarettes.

The circuit of the aerosol generating device may be configured to indicate the user when the predetermined minimum current threshold I _low has been reached. For example, the circuit of the aerosol-generating device may include an LED like a green LED, and this circuit may be configured to illuminate the LED when a predetermined minimum current threshold I _low has been reached. Therefore, the user can determine when one or more hybrid capacitors of the aerosol-generating device remain sufficiently charged to provide an aerosol-generating period.

The charging device may be configured to continuously charge one or more hybrid capacitors after a predetermined minimum current threshold I _low has been reached, until the current reaches zero and one or more hybrid capacitors are fully charged, or until the user charges from The device is removed until the aerosol-generating device is removed. The charging device may be configured to continuously charge one or more hybrid capacitors at a constant charging voltage.

The constant charging current I _ch may be between about 0.5A and about 5A. Preferably, the constant charging current I _ch is about 2A. The predetermined maximum voltage value V _ch may be between about 1V and 5V. Preferably, the predetermined maximum voltage value V _ch is about 3.8V. The predetermined minimum current threshold I _low may be between about 10 mA and about 300 mA, may be between about 20 mA and about 200 mA, or may be about 50 mA.

The circuit of the charging device may be configured to periodically compare the output voltage of one or more hybrid capacitors with a predetermined minimum threshold voltage during the charging of the hybrid capacitor.

The charging device may include a power converter connected between the battery and the hybrid capacitor. The circuit of the charging device may be configured to reduce the current to one or more hybrid capacitors by reducing the duty cycle of the voltage pulses applied from the voltage source to the power converter. The circuit of the charging device may be configured to reduce the current to one or more hybrid capacitors by not applying a voltage pulse to the power converter.

When charging one or more hybrid capacitors in the constant current phase, the charging voltage must be increased to compensate for the increase in voltage of the hybrid capacitors. Therefore, the constant current phase requires the minimum charging voltage available from the charging voltage source.

One or more hybrid capacitors are ideal power sources for providing high power pulses to the aerosol-generating elements of a portable aerosol-generating device. The circuit of the aerosol-generating device may be configured to supply power from one or more hybrid capacitors to one or more aerosol-generating elements in pulses during the heating mode. The pulse can have a predetermined duration. The duration of each pulse can be the duration of a cigarette. The duration of each pulse can be less than the duration of a cigarette. More than one pulse can be provided to one or more heating elements for the duration of a puff. The duration of the pulse can be between about 100 microseconds and about 5 seconds. The pulse frequency can be between about 0.2 Hz and about 1 kHz.

The circuitry of the aerosol-generating device may be configured to regulate the power supplied to one or more aerosol-generating elements.

The circuit of the aerosol-generating device may be configured to adjust the supply of power to one or more aerosol-generating elements by pulse frequency modulation. Pulse frequency modulation consists of changing the frequency of a pulse while maintaining a constant pulse width.

The circuit of the aerosol-generating device may be configured to adjust the supply of power to one or more aerosol-generating elements by pulse width modulation. Pulse width modulation consists of changing the duty cycle at a fixed frequency. Duty cycle is the ratio of power on time to power off time. In other words, the ratio of the width of the voltage pulse to the time between the voltage pulses. A low duty cycle of 5% will provide lower power than a 95% duty cycle.

The voltage of a hybrid capacitor varies linearly with the charge stored in one or more hybrid capacitors. Therefore, the voltage of the hybrid capacitor decreases as the charge of the hybrid capacitor decreases. The circuit of the aerosol-generating device may be configured to adjust the supply of power to one or more aerosol-generating elements when discharging one or more hybrid capacitors so as to maintain the A constant supply of energy for the pieces. The circuit of the aerosol-generating device may be configured to adjust the supply of power to one or more hybrid capacitors using pulse frequency modulation or pulse width modulation.

The circuit of the aerosol-generating device may be configured to adjust the power supply to one or more aerosol-generating elements during the duration of a cigarette. In some embodiments, the circuitry of the aerosol-generating device may be configured to supply high or maximum power to one or more aerosol-generating elements at the beginning of a puff and reduce supply to one or more at the end of the puff. The power of each aerosol-generating element. This can reduce the amount of energy consumed in a single cigarette, while maintaining an acceptable aerosol produced throughout the cigarette. This can reduce the accumulation of condensation in the aerosol generating device by reducing the production of aerosol towards the end of a cigarette.

High and low power values can be used at any suitable power value to produce an acceptable aerosol from the aerosol generating system. For example, high power may be between about 18W and about 5W and low power may be between about 8W and about 2W. For example, the circuit of the aerosol generating device may be configured to supply a high power of about 10W to one or more aerosol generating elements for a first period of about 1.5 seconds when a puff is detected, and then, to supply about 5W of There is a second period from low power to one or more aerosol-generating elements reaching about 1.5 seconds.

The circuit of the aerosol-generating device may be configured to adjust the supply of power to one or more aerosol-generating elements by pulse frequency modulation or by pulse width modulation for the duration of a cigarette.

The circuit of the aerosol generating device can be configured in a mouthful The power supplied to one or more aerosol-generating elements within the duration of the smoke is gradually reduced from a high power to a low power. The circuit of the aerosol-generating device may be configured to reduce the power supplied to one or more aerosol-generating elements from a high power to a low power in two or more stages during the duration of a cigarette. The circuit of the aerosol-generating device may be configured to reduce the power supplied to one or more aerosol-generating elements in two to six stages during a cigarette.

The duration of each phase can be the same. The duration of each phase can be different. The duration of each phase can be between about 0.2 seconds and about 1.5 seconds or about 0.75 seconds.

The reduction in power at each stage can be the same. The magnitude of power reduction can be different at each stage. The reduction in power at each stage can be between about 0.5W and about 4W or about 2W.

In some embodiments, the reduction in power at each stage may be incremental over the duration of a puff. For example, the circuit of the aerosol-generating device may be configured to reduce the power supplied to the electric aerosol-generating element in three stages during the duration of a puff of smoke in 3 seconds by: initially, when a puff of smoke is detected , Supplying 10W to one or more electric aerosol generating elements has a first period of 0.75 seconds; supplying 9W to one or more electric aerosol generating elements has a first period of 0.75 seconds; supplying 7W to one or more The electric aerosol-generating element has a third period of 0.75 seconds; and the supply of 3W to one or more electric aerosol-generating elements has a fourth period of 0.75 seconds.

In some embodiments, the reduction in power at each stage may be decreasing for the duration of a cigarette.

In some embodiments, the circuitry of the aerosol-generating device is configured to monitor the temperature of one or more aerosol-generating elements. The circuit of the aerosol-generating device may be further configured to adjust the supply of power to the one or more aerosol-generating elements according to the temperature of the one or more aerosol-generating elements.

The circuit of the aerosol-generating device may be configured to determine the state of charge of one or more hybrid capacitors. In other words, the circuit of the aerosol-generating device may be configured to determine the amount of energy stored in one or more hybrid capacitors. The circuit of the aerosol-generating device may be configured to determine a state of charge of the one or more hybrid capacitors based on a measurement of a voltage across the one or more hybrid capacitors. The relationship between stored energy and voltage can be determined using Equation 1 below:

Among them, E is the energy stored in the hybrid capacitor, C is the capacitance of the hybrid capacitor, and V is the voltage of the hybrid capacitor. The direct relationship between stored energy and voltage can accurately estimate the state of charge of one or more hybrid capacitors.

The aerosol-generating device circuit can be configured or programmed to determine the amount of energy stored in one or more hybrid capacitors. The aerosol-generating device circuit can be configured or programmed to determine the charge remaining in one or more hybrid capacitors percentage. The circuit of the aerosol generating device can be configured or programmed to determine the number of remaining cigarettes based on the average energy of a cigarette and the amount of energy stored in one or more hybrid capacitors.

The circuit of the aerosol-generating device may be configured to indicate to a user the charging status of one or more hybrid capacitors, for example, with a number on the display of the device's housing or with some illuminated LEDs on the device's housing.

The aerosol generating device and the charging device may be electrically connected to each other during the charging mode and electrically separated from each other during the heating mode. The electrical connection may be, for example, a physical connection between two opposing electrical contacts, or may be, for example, an inductively coupled inductive connection between two parallel coils.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating device and the charging device may be physically coupled during the charging mode such that the electrical contacts of the aerosol-generating device contact the electrical contacts of the charging device.

The electrical contact of the aerosol generating device may be the same electrode as the charging device. The electrical contact of the aerosol generating device may be an electrode different from the charging device. The electrical contacts may be of any suitable shape, such as ring contacts, point contacts or plate contacts. The electrical contacts are springable in order to tend or advance the contacts into physical contact with the opposite contact of another device.

In some embodiments, the electrical contact of the aerosol generating device may be a ring-shaped contact, which is external to the aerosol generating device. In some embodiments, the electrical contact of the charging device may be a ring electrode, which is externally connected to a cavity of the charging device, and the cavity is configured for An aerosol generating device is housed in the electric mode. When the aerosol generating device is coupled with the charging device, the ring electrode is provided on at least one of the aerosol generating device and the charging device, and it is not necessary to maintain the aerosol generating device with a specific rotational orientation relative to the charging device.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating device and the charging device may be inductively coupled during the charging mode.

This system may include an alignment device that facilitates the alignment of the aerosol-generating device and the charging device in the charging position, wherein the electrical contacts of the aerosol-generating device are in contact with the electrical contacts of the charging device or cause the aerosol to generate The device is inductively coupled to the charging device.

In some embodiments, this system may include a magnetic alignment device. For example, the aerosol generating device may include a first magnetic material and the charging device may include a second magnetic material, and the second magnetic material is configured to magnetically attract the first magnetic material. The term "magnetic material" is used herein to describe materials that interact with magnetic fields and include paramagnetic and ferromagnetic materials. The magnetic material may be a paramagnetic material so that magnetization is maintained only in the presence of an external magnetic field. A magnetic material may be a material that becomes magnetized in the presence of an external magnetic field and remains magnetized after the external magnetic field is removed (eg, a ferromagnetic material). The term "magnetic material" as used herein includes both magnetizable and magnetized types.

When the aerosol generating device and the charging device are in a charging position, the first magnetic material and the second magnetic material may be configured such that the first magnetic material is adjacent to or close to the second magnetic material. The first magnetic material and the second magnetic material are configured so that the attractive magnetic force between the first magnetic material and the second magnetic material can convert the aerosol generating device and the The charging device remains in the charging position. When the aerosol generating device is arranged close to the charging device and the charging position, the magnetic attraction force between the first magnetic material and the second magnetic material can also attract the aerosol generating device to the charging position.

The aerosol generating device circuit and the charging device circuit may be configured to communicate with each other in a charging mode. The circuit of the aerosol generating device may be configured to transmit a signal to the charging device and the circuit of the charging device may be configured to receive a signal from the circuit of the aerosol generating device. The circuit of the charging device may be configured to transmit signals to the aerosol generating device and the circuit of the aerosol generating device may be configured to receive signals from the circuit of the charging device. When the aerosol generating device is physically or inductively coupled with the charging device, signals can be transmitted via the physical or inductive connection between the aerosol generating device and the charging device.

The voltage source of the charging device may be a DC voltage source. The voltage source may be a rechargeable voltage source. The voltage source may be a battery. Preferably, the voltage source is a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable from a commercial power source. Lithium-ion batteries can be configured to maintain sufficient charge to recharge one or more hybrid capacitors several times before recharging is required. Lithium batteries can hold enough charge to charge one or more hybrid capacitors 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 times. The battery may be a lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) battery. The battery can be prismatic, cylindrical or pouch type. The battery can have a capacity between 1000mAh and about 2000mAhm.

In the case where the voltage source is a rechargeable voltage source, the circuit of the charging device may include a charging device for recharging the battery. Place the device connected to an external power supply. The external power supply can be city power or wall power.

In some embodiments, the circuit of the charging device may include a device for physically connecting the charging device to an external power supply. For example, the charging device may include a connector like a USB port.

In some embodiments, the circuit of the charging device may include a device for inductively coupling the charging device to an external power supply. For example, the charging device may include one or more circular connectors or coils.

The charging device and the aerosol generating device may include a housing. The housing can be made of the same material. The housing may include any suitable material or combination of materials. Examples of suitable materials include metals, alloys, plastics or composites containing one or more of these materials, or thermoplastics suitable for food or medical applications, such as polypropylene, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), and polyethylene . The material can be lightweight and non-brittle.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, an aerosol generating device for an electrically operated aerosol generating system is provided. The device includes: a housing having an aerosol generating device including an aerosol-forming substrate. The cavity of the object; one or more electric aerosol generating elements; and one or more hybrid capacitors for supplying power to the one or more electric aerosol generating elements.

The aerosol-generating device may further include a circuit configured to control power supply from one or more hybrid capacitors to one or more electric aerosol-generating elements. Or multiple aerosols Components to discharge.

The circuit of the aerosol-generating device may include a smoke detector for detecting a user smoking on the aerosol-generating system.

In some embodiments, the aerosol-generating element of the aerosol-generating device may be an electric heating element, such as a resistance or an induction heating element. In other embodiments, the aerosol-generating element may be a vibrable element or any other type of element suitable for atomizing an aerosol-forming substrate of an aerosol-generating object.

The circuit of the aerosol-generating device may be further configured to communicate with an external device like a telephone or a personal computer. The circuit of the aerosol generating device may be configured to transmit usage or charging data to an external device. The circuitry of the aerosol-generating device may be configured to communicate wirelessly with an external device. For example, the aerosol-generating circuit means may include a Bluetooth ^® transceiver. The circuit of the aerosol-generating device may include an electrical connector like a USB port for connecting to an external device.

The circuit of the charging device may be further configured to communicate with an external device like a telephone or a personal computer. The circuit of the charging device may be configured to transmit usage or charging data to an external device. The circuit of the charging device may be configured to wirelessly communicate with an external device. For example, the charging circuit may include a Bluetooth ^® device of the transceiver. The circuit of the charging device may be configured to communicate with the external device via a device for electrically connecting the charging device to an external power supply.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a method for charging an aerosol generating device including a hybrid capacitor power supply is provided. The method includes: comparing the output voltage of the hybrid capacitor with A threshold voltage; when the output voltage of the hybrid capacitor is equal to or greater than the threshold voltage, use a constant first current to charge the hybrid capacitor, and when the charging voltage applied to the hybrid capacitor reaches the maximum allowable Reducing the charging current when the voltage or the output voltage of the battery is less than the critical voltage; and reducing the charging current when the charging voltage applied to the hybrid capacitor reaches the maximum allowable voltage or when the output voltage of the battery is less than the critical voltage To keep the charging voltage applied to the battery at or near the maximum allowable voltage.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a method of operating an aerosol generating device including one or more aerosol generating elements and one or more hybrid capacitors is provided, wherein the one or more hybrid capacitors are configured to For supplying power to the one or more aerosol-generating elements, the method includes: detecting that a user smokes with the aerosol-generating device; and when detecting that the user smokes, pulses from the One or more hybrid capacitors supply power to the one or more aerosol-generating elements.

The systems, devices and methods according to the first, second and third aspects of the present invention can be applied to electronic smoking systems. The charging device can be used to charge a hybrid capacitor in an electronic smoking device. The electronic smoking device may include one or more electric heaters configured to heat the aerosol-forming substrate. The aerosol-forming substrate may be provided in the form of a cigarette having a mouthpiece portion for an end user to smoke. Hybrid capacitors can advantageously provide sufficient power for a single smoking period, thereby depleting a single aerosol-forming substrate.

It should be understood that features described in relation to one aspect of the present invention may be applied to other aspects of the present invention alone or in combination with other described aspects and features of the present invention.

30‧‧‧ dotted line

100‧‧‧Main device / charging device

102‧‧‧ secondary device / aerosol generating device

104‧‧‧ aerosol-generating object

106‧‧‧ Battery

108‧‧‧Circuit / Microcontroller

110‧‧‧electrical contacts

112‧‧‧ Cavity

116‧‧‧Shell

126‧‧‧hybrid capacitor

128‧‧‧ secondary circuit / microcontroller

129‧‧‧Voltage Regulator

130‧‧‧Electrical Contacts

132‧‧‧ Cavity

133‧‧‧Switch

134‧‧‧heater

135‧‧‧Display

136‧‧‧shell

137‧‧‧Charging port

138‧‧‧External power supply

139‧‧‧Bluetooth ^® Module

210‧‧‧Charging voltage

220‧‧‧Charging current

230‧‧‧Total discharge capacity

240‧‧‧ Initial Constant Current Charging Phase

250‧‧‧Constant voltage charging phase

260‧‧‧ heating stage

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an electrically operated aerosol generating system according to the present invention. Aerosol generating device and a related charging device including a rechargeable battery; FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram illustrating a charging system of the electrically operated aerosol generating system of FIG. 1; and FIG. 3 illustrates a hybrid capacitor of the aerosol generating device of FIG. Typical charge and discharge curves.

FIG. 1 shows a primary device 100 and a secondary device 102 with a rechargeable power supply. The main device 100 in this example is a charging unit for an electrically operated aerosol generating device. The secondary device 102 in this example is an electrically operated aerosol-generating device suitable for containing an aerosol-generating object 104 including an aerosol-forming substrate. The aerosol-generating device 102 includes a heater 134 to heat the aerosol-forming substrate during operation. The user inhales on the mouthpiece portion of the aerosol-generating article 104 to draw the aerosol into the user's mouth. The aerosol generating device 102 is configured to be received in the cavity 112 of the charging device 100 so as to supply power to the aerosol generating device 102. Recharge.

The charging device 100 includes a battery 106, a circuit 108, and an electrical contact 110. The electrical contact 110 is configured to provide power from the battery 106 to the aerosol generating device 102 when the aerosol generating device 102 is in contact with the electrical contact 110. Charging power supply. The electrical contact 110 is disposed adjacent to the bottom of the cavity 112. The cavity is configured to receive the aerosol-generating device 102. The components of the charging device 100 are housed in a casing 116.

The aerosol generating device 102 includes a rechargeable power supply in the form of a hybrid capacitor 126, a secondary circuit 128, and electrical contacts 130. As described above, the hybrid capacitor 126 of the aerosol generating device 102 is configured to receive a power supply from the battery 106 when the electrical contact 130 is in contact with the electrical contact 110 of the charging device 100. The aerosol-generating device 102 further includes a cavity 132 configured to receive the smoking article 104. A heater 134 in the form of, for example, a blade heater is provided at the bottom of the cavity 132. In use, the user activates the aerosol-generating device 102 and thus supplies power from the hybrid capacitor 126 to the heater 134 via the circuit 128. The heater is heated to a standard operating temperature sufficient to generate aerosol from the aerosol-forming substrate of the aerosol-generating object 104. The components of the aerosol-generating device 102 are housed in a housing 136. Aerosol generating devices of this type are fully described in, for example, EP2110033.

The aerosol-forming substrate preferably includes a tobacco-containing material containing a volatile tobacco flavor compound released from the substrate after heating. Alternatively, the aerosol-forming substrate may include a non-tobacco material. Better Preferably, the aerosol-forming substrate further includes an aerosol former. Examples of suitable aerosol products are glycerol and propylene glycol.

The aerosol-forming substrate may be a solid substrate. The solid substrate may include, for example, one or more of the following: powder, granules, pellets, chips, spaghetti, strips or flakes, which contain one or more of the following Who: vanilla leaves, tobacco leaves, segments of tobacco main veins, reconstituted tobacco, homogeneous tobacco, extruded tobacco, and expanded tobacco.

In this example, the aerosol generating device 102 is a portable electrically operated aerosol generating device. Therefore, the aerosol-generating device 102 is required to be small (traditional cigarette size) so that the user can hold it in his hand. However, the aerosol-generating device 102 is also required to be drawn on the mouthpiece of the aerosol-generating object 104 Each cigarette delivers high power in a matter of seconds. Generally, for 14 cigarettes in a single user experience, the aerosol-generating device 102 must deliver high power for each cigarette for about 3 seconds. The hybrid capacitor 126 may then return to the charging device 100 for charging purposes. It is desirable to complete recharging at least to a degree sufficient to allow another full smoking experience in minutes and preferably less than 1 minute.

The battery 106 in the charging device is a lithium-ion battery. The battery 106 is configured to maintain sufficient charge so that the hybrid capacitor 126 is recharged 126 times before it needs to be recharged. This can provide users with a portable system that allows several user experiences before needing to be recharged from a city power outlet.

The hybrid capacitor 126 in this example is a 40 F, LIC1235R 3R8406 lithium ion capacitor commercially available from TAIYO YUDEN (U.S.A.) INC. The lithium-ion capacitor 126 is a cylindrical capacitor having a diameter of 12.5 mm and a length of 35.0 mm. The hybrid capacitor 126 can perform 10,000 charge / discharge cycles at more than 280J per cycle. The average power transmitted by the hybrid capacitor in each cigarette is about 5W, which transmits about 15J to the heater 134 in a period of about 3 seconds.

The battery 106 in the charging device 100 is a prismatic lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2) battery. The battery has a capacity of about 1350mAh. Battery charging can be performed by a commercial power source at a rate between 0 and 1.5C and typically at a rate of about 0.5C to maximize battery life.

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram illustrating a charging circuit composed of a combined charging device 100 and an aerosol generating device 102. This circuit is divided into a charging device side and an aerosol generating device side. A dotted line 30 indicates a boundary between the charging device 100 and the aerosol generating device 102. The charging device includes a controlled voltage source including a battery 106 and a microcontroller 108. The microcontroller 108 is configured to control the power supplied from the battery 106 to the hybrid capacitor 126 based on the current and voltage measurements on the hybrid capacitor 126. The aerosol generating device side includes a hybrid capacitor 126.

The resistance within the charging circuit includes contributions from several sources. The resistances r _p− and r _{p +} represent the electronic layout and the resistance of the pads in the charging device 100. The resistances r _s- and r _{s +} represent the electronic layout and the resistance of the solder pads in the aerosol generating device 102. The resistances r _c- (t) and r _{c +} (t) represent the resistance of the contact between the main device and the aerosol generating device. They will vary from device to device and will change over time for different charge cycles. In the electrically operated aerosol generating system of the type described in FIG. 1, the charging device 100 and the portable aerosol generating device 102 can be brought into and out of contact several times a day, and the contact resistance may be different each time. of. If the contacts are not kept clean, the contact resistance may also increase. The resistance r _i (t) represents the internal resistance of the hybrid capacitor 126.

The contact resistances r _c− (t) and r _{c +} (t) can be determined by measuring the voltage across the hybrid capacitor 126. The microcontroller 128 of the aerosol-generating device 102 is configured to measure the voltage across the hybrid capacitor 126 and pass the measured voltage across the hybrid capacitor 126 to the microcontroller 108 of the charging device 100 via a contact. The microcontroller 108 of the charging device 100 is configured to measure the contact resistances r _c− (t) and r _{c +} (t) using a measurement voltage across the hybrid capacitor 126. It will be understood that in other embodiments, the microcontroller 128 of the aerosol-generating device 102 may be configured to use a measured voltage across the hybrid capacitor 126 to determine contact resistance and transfer the contact resistance to the microcontroller 108 of the charging device 100 .

If the parasitic resistances r _p- , r _{p +} , r _s- , r _{s +} , r _c- (t) and r _{c +} (t) are combined into a single resistance R (t), the voltage across the hybrid capacitor 126 will be less than The charging voltage of the voltage source is V _drop = I * R (t).

This means that the charging voltage supplied by the voltage source can be increased to the maximum value V _ch by a certain amount I * R (t) and the voltage across the hybrid capacitor 126 will be equal to V _ch . The constant current phase of the charging curve can be extended until the charging voltage reaches the point of V _ch + I * R (t). After that, the charging voltage can also be controlled to exceed V _ch , but not exceed V _ch + I * R (t). Therefore, the microcontroller 108 of the charging device 100 may be configured to control the voltage supplied from the voltage source to the hybrid capacitor 126 so as to compensate for the voltage drop V _drop across the hybrid capacitor 126.

The charging device side may include a voltage regulator (not shown) of an image switching power converter between the battery 106 and the hybrid capacitor 126. The microcontroller 108 may be configured to control the switching of switches within the switched power converter and thereby adjust the voltage and current applied to the hybrid capacitor 126. The switching power converter may be an integrated buck-boost converter.

The charging device 100 includes a charging port 137 like a USB port for connecting the charging device 100 to an external power supply 138 like a city power source. The charging device 100 may be connected to an external power supply in order to recharge the battery 106. It will be understood that, in other embodiments, the charging device may include one or more charging coils for inductively coupling to a charging coil of an external power supply for recharging the battery 106.

The microcontroller 108 also includes Bluetooth ^® module 139, in order to track the use of a charging device for charging and transmitted to the image data using a telephone or other user of the computer device.

The aerosol generating device side 102 includes another controller 128 for controlling the power supply from the hybrid capacitor 126 to the heater 134. The microcontroller 128 includes a smoke detector (not shown) and is configured to detect when a user smokes on the mouthpiece of the aerosol-generating object 104. The microcontroller 128 is powered by a hybrid capacitor 126; However, a voltage regulator 129 is provided between the hybrid capacitor 126 and the microcontroller 128 to protect the microcontroller's pressure-sensitive components. The voltage supplied by the voltage regulator 129 to the microcontroller 128 from the hybrid capacitor 126 is maintained below a critical level (typically about 1.8V).

The microcontroller 128 controls a switch 133 so as to complete the circuit between the hybrid capacitor 128 and the heater 134, so that the hybrid capacitor 126 is discharged through the heater. This provides a high power pulse to the heater 134 to generate an aerosol from the aerosol-forming substrate of the aerosol-generating article 104. When the microcontroller 128 detects that the user smokes on the mouthpiece of the aerosol-generating object 104, the microcontroller 128 is configured to close and close 133, and thus supplies power to the heater 134.

The microcontroller 128 is also configured to periodically determine the state of charge of the hybrid capacitor 126. The microcontroller 128 is configured to determine a state of charge of the hybrid capacitor 126 based on a measurement of a voltage across the hybrid capacitor 126. The microcontroller 128 is configured to display the charging status on the display 135 to notify the user.

The microcontroller 128 also includes Bluetooth ^® module, in order to track the use of the device of the state of charge transmitted to the image data and the use of telephone or other user of the computer device.

FIG. 3 shows a standard charging and discharging curve of the hybrid capacitor 126 of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 shows the charging voltage 210, the charging current 220, and the total discharge capacity 230 of the hybrid capacitor 126.

The charging curve is composed of an initial constant current charging stage 240. During the constant current phase 240, the charging voltage 220 is controlled so as to provide a constant charging current _Ich , which is about 2A in this embodiment. This can be accomplished by turning on the switching power converter to apply a voltage pulse from the battery to the power converter at the maximum duty cycle. This scenario provides the maximum charging rate. However, when the charging voltage 220 from the battery required to maintain the charging current exceeds the maximum charging voltage V _ch , the constant charging current phase 240 ends, and the maximum charging voltage is about 3.8V in this example. Once this level is reached, the constant voltage charging phase 250 begins. During the constant voltage phase 250, the charging voltage 220 is maintained at a maximum value V _ch . During the constant voltage phase 250, as the difference between the charging current 220 and the voltage of the hybrid capacitor decreases, the charging voltage 220 decreases. When the charging current 210 reaches a low threshold I _end , the charging process is stopped, where the low threshold is 50 mA in this example. The maximum charging current and the maximum charging voltage can be set by the hybrid capacitor manufacturer.

Once the charging current 210 has reached a low threshold I _end , the hybrid capacitor has sufficient charge to be used during aerosol generation. The aerosol generation period usually includes between 7 and 14 cigarettes on the aerosol generating device, each of which lasts about 3 seconds. The aerosol-generating device can indicate the user by the lighting of the LED on the casing of the device, and the hybrid capacitor 126 has sufficient charge to be used during the aerosol-generating period.

When the charging current 210 reaches the low threshold I _end , the charging device stops charging the hybrid capacitor. however. It will be understood that in some embodiments, the charging device may continue to charge the hybrid capacitor until the charging current reaches zero or the user removes the aerosol-generating device from the charging device.

When the aerosol generating device is removed from the charging device for use, the hybrid capacitor is discharged during the heating phase. The charging curve shown in FIG. 3 further includes such a heating stage 260. During the heating phase 260, the user smokes several consecutive puffs on the aerosol-generating device. Each cigarette lasts for about 3 seconds. When the microprocessor of the aerosol-generating device detects that a cigarette has been smoked on the aerosol-generating device, the microprocessor turns off the switch 133 to supply a high-power pulse from the hybrid capacitor to the heater 134 to generate an aerosol. This pulse lasts for about 3 seconds during a puff, and each puff consumes about 15J. Each pulse gradually decreases the voltage of the hybrid capacitor until the lower voltage limit is reached. In this example, the lower voltage limit is 2.2V. When the hybrid capacitor voltage reaches the lower voltage limit, the hybrid capacitor cannot deliver enough energy to the heater for another pulse. In this example, the hybrid capacitor has stored enough energy to supply the heater with 7 pulses, which corresponds to the 7 puffs smoked during use. In the preferred embodiment, the hybrid capacitor stores enough energy to supply the heater with 14 pulses, which corresponds to 14 cigarettes smoked by the user.

It will be understood that the features described above with respect to the electrically operated aerosol generation system may also be adapted to other electrically operated systems. In particular, other electrically operated aerosol generating systems may include an aerosol generating device including a power source having one or more hybrid capacitors, and one or more hybrid capacitors having a power source for supplying the device. Device for charging voltage source.

The illustrative specific examples described above are not limiting. In view of the exemplary embodiments described above, Other embodiments consistent with the above exemplary embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

100‧‧‧Main device / charging device

102‧‧‧ secondary device / aerosol generating device

104‧‧‧ aerosol-generating object

106‧‧‧ Battery

108‧‧‧Circuit / Microcontroller

110‧‧‧electrical contacts

112‧‧‧ Cavity

116‧‧‧Shell

126‧‧‧hybrid capacitor

128‧‧‧ secondary circuit / microcontroller

130‧‧‧Electrical Contacts

132‧‧‧ Cavity

134‧‧‧heater

136‧‧‧shell

Claims (14)

An electrically operated aerosol generating system containing an aerosol-forming substrate, the system includes: one or more electric aerosol generating elements; and one or more hybrid capacitors for supplying power to the one or more electric aerosol An aerosol generating element; and a voltage source for supplying power to the one or more hybrid capacitors to charge the one or more hybrid capacitors. The electrically operated aerosol generating system of claim 1, wherein the system includes: an aerosol generating device including: the one or more electric aerosol generating elements, and the one or more hybrid capacitors; and a charging A device comprising: the voltage source. The electrically operated aerosol generating system of claim 2, wherein: the charging device further includes a circuit configured to control a power supply from the voltage source to the one or more hybrid capacitors; and the aerosol generating device It further includes a circuit configured to control a power supply from the one or more hybrid capacitors to the one or more electric aerosol-generating elements. The electrically operated aerosol generating system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the circuit of the charging device is configured to operate from a charging mode during The voltage source supplies power to the one or more hybrid capacitors; and the circuit of the aerosol generating device is configured to supply power from the one or more hybrid capacitors to the one or more aerosols during a heating mode Generate components. The electrically operated aerosol generation system of claim 4, wherein the circuit of the charging device is configured to supply power from the voltage source to the one or more hybrid capacitors at a constant current during the charging mode until the voltage reaches Up to a predetermined value. The electrically operated aerosol generation system of claim 4, wherein the circuit of the charging device is configured to supply power from the voltage source to the one or more hybrid capacitors at a constant current during the charging mode until the voltage reaches a At a predetermined value, and then supplying power from the voltage source to the one or more hybrid capacitors at a constant voltage, at least until the current reaches a predetermined value. The electrically operated aerosol generating system of claim 4, 5, or 6, wherein the aerosol generating device circuit is configured to supply power from the one or more hybrid capacitors to the one or more aerosols during the heating mode. Sol-generating element. The electrically operated aerosol generating system of claim 7, wherein the circuit of the aerosol generating device is configured to be adjusted to the one or more aerosol generating elements by pulse frequency modulation or by pulse width modulation. Supply of electricity. The electrically operated aerosol generating system of claim 7 or 8, wherein the circuit of the aerosol generating device is configured to last for a period of a cigarette The power supplied to the one or more aerosol-generating elements is adjusted from a high power to a low power in two or more stages. The electrically operated aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 4 to 9, wherein the aerosol generating device and the charging device are electrically connected to each other during the charging mode, and are electrically separated from each other during the heating mode. of. The electrically operated aerosol generating system of any preceding claim, wherein the one or more hybrid capacitors are lithium-ion capacitors. An electrically operated aerosol generating device for an electrically operated aerosol generating system according to any one of claims 2 to 11, the device comprising: a housing having a housing for containing an aerosol-forming substrate A cavity of an aerosol-generating object; one or more electric aerosol-generating elements arranged in or around the cavity; and one or more hybrid capacitors for supplying power to the one or more electric Aerosol generating element. The electrically operated aerosol generating device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the device further comprises a circuit configured to control the power from the one or more hybrid capacitors to the one or more electric aerosol generating elements. Supply, the one or more hybrid capacitors are discharged via the one or more aerosol-generating elements in a heating mode. A method for charging an aerosol generating device including a hybrid capacitor power source, the method comprising: comparing an output voltage of the one or more hybrid capacitors with a Critical voltage; when the output voltage from the one or more hybrid capacitors is equal to or greater than the critical voltage, charge the one or more hybrid capacitors with a constant charge current, and when applied to the one Reducing the charging current when the charging voltage of the one or more hybrid capacitors reaches a predetermined maximum allowable voltage or when the output voltage from the one or more hybrid capacitors is less than the threshold voltage; and when applied to the one or more hybrid capacitors When the charging voltage of the capacitor reaches a maximum allowable voltage or the output voltage from the one or more hybrid capacitors is less than the threshold voltage, the charging current is reduced so as to maintain the charging voltage applied to the one or more hybrid capacitors at The maximum allowable voltage is close to the maximum allowable voltage.